Mont-Saint-Hilaire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mont-Saint-Hilaire
City
Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Location within La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM.
Mont-Saint-Hilaire Location in Southern Quebec
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Montérégie
RCM	La Vallée-du-Richelieu
Constituted	March 12, 1966
Area
• Total	45.50 km2 (17.57 sq mi)
• Land	44.08 km2 (17.02 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Total	18,859
• Density	427.8/km2 (1,108/sq mi)
• Pop 2016–2021	1.5%
• Dwellings	7,917
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	J3H
Area code(s)	450 and 579
Highways A-20 (TCH)	Route 116 Route 133

Mont-Saint-Hilaire is a city in southeastern Quebec, Canada. It is a suburb of Montreal, located on the South Shore of the Richelieu River. The city is named after the nearby Mont Saint-Hilaire, a mountain known for its unique nature.

As of the Canada 2021 Census, about 18,859 people live in Mont-Saint-Hilaire. The area is also known for a special rock called sodalite, a semi-precious mineral found there.

History of Mont-Saint-Hilaire

The historic Manoir Rouville-Campbell, built by Major Thomas Edmund Campbell.

The history of Mont-Saint-Hilaire goes back a long time. In 1694, a person named Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville was given control of this land. By 1745, a small village had started to form near the mountain. The first chapel was built in 1798 close to the Richelieu River.

About twenty years later, in 1822, a ferry service began. It helped people travel between Beloeil and Mont-Saint-Hilaire across the river. Later, in 1848, a bridge was built. This bridge allowed trains to connect Beloeil and Mont-Saint-Hilaire.

The Campbell family later owned the mountain. They sold it to a British officer named Brigadier-General Andrew Gault. He owned the mountain for 45 years. Before he passed away in 1958, Gault gave the mountain to McGill University. Today, McGill University still uses the mountain for research and nature protection.

Population and Languages

Mont-Saint-Hilaire has grown over the years. In the 2021 Census, the city had a population of 18,859 people. This was a small increase of 1.5% from 2016. The city covers a land area of 44.08 square kilometers.

Most people in Mont-Saint-Hilaire speak French. In 2021, about 91.5% of the population spoke only French at home. About 3.0% spoke only English. A smaller number spoke both English and French, or other languages.

Places to Visit in Mont-Saint-Hilaire

The Museum of Fine Arts in February 2022.

Mont-Saint-Hilaire offers several interesting places to visit.

• The Gault Nature Reserve

This reserve is on Mont Saint-Hilaire. It has over a thousand hectares of old forest. McGill University owns it and uses it for scientific research. It is also a great place for people to enjoy nature.

• The Museum of Fine Arts

This museum is a major art museum on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River. It opened in 1993. The museum shows art by local artists like Jordi Bonet, Paul-Émile Borduas, and Ozias Leduc. It also features art from the region and other Quebec artists.

• Other Attractions

Mont-Saint-Hilaire also has an Art Station and the Art Centre Ozias Leduc. You can also visit the historic Manoir Rouville-Campbell and the beautiful Saint-Hilaire church.

Transportation and Travel

Mont-Saint-Hilaire has a commuter train station. This station is part of the Réseau de transport métropolitain's (RTM) Mont-Saint-Hilaire line. This train helps people travel to and from Montreal. Local bus services are also available, provided by the RTM.

In 1864, a very sad event happened here. It was Canada's worst train disaster. A passenger train did not stop at a red signal. It then fell off an open swing bridge into the Richelieu River. This accident caused the loss of about 99 lives.

Schools and Education

Mont-Saint-Hilaire has several schools for children and teenagers.

• Primary Schools: There are four primary schools in the town. These include Au-fil-de-l'eau, de l'Aquarelle, de la Pommeraie, and Paul-Émile-Borduas.
• Secondary Schools: The town has two secondary schools. One is Ozias-Leduc, which has about 1,480 students. The other is Collège Saint-Hilaire, which is a private high school.

Famous People from Mont-Saint-Hilaire

Some well-known people have come from Mont-Saint-Hilaire:

• Louis Domingue: An ice hockey player who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League.
• Laurent Duvernay-Tardif: A football player who played for the New York Jets in the National Football League.

Images for kids

• 

  Reception arch in front of the town hall of Saint-Hilaire

• 

  View of Mont Saint-Hilaire, the intersection of boulevard Honorius-Charbonneau and rue du Centre-Civique

• 

  Mont Saint-Hilaire (Quebec) seen from the train station parking lot in winter 2022.

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  Wayside cross in Mont-Saint-Hilaire (corner of Chemin des Patriotes and rue de Lisbonne)

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  Residential area of rue du Grand Tronc, opposite the Saint-Hilaire train station (QC) in February 2022

See also

In Spanish: Mont-Saint-Hilaire para niños